Did you know that over 68 U.S. school districts have fallen victim to ransomware attacks during this school year? As one of the largest districts in the nation, Gwinnett County Public Schools is a high-value target for cybercriminals looking to exploit personally identifiable information (PII).
Protecting Your Digital Classroom
You hold the power to prevent these attacks with these simple practices:
Be Email Savvy:
- Evaluate emails carefully, especially those from communications via phone or text
- Verify unexpected emails by contacting the sender through a different channel
- Hover over links to reveal their true destination before clicking
Recognize Warning Signs:
- Poor grammar and unusual formatting in official-looking emails
- Urgent demands requiring immediate action
- Requests to verify your login credentials or personal information
- Unexpected attachments or links, especially those with unusual file extensions
Take Action When in Doubt:
- Contact your TST or ITI Coach immediately with concerns
- Use the “Report Phish” button in Outlook for suspicious emails
- Delete suspicious emails from your Inbox, Sent Items, and Deleted Items folders.
Remember, cybersecurity isn’t just an IT responsibility—it’s a community effort. By staying vigilant and following these guidelines, you help protect not only your classroom but our entire district from costly, disruptive ransomware attacks.
Let’s keep our focus on education, not recovery. Stay cyber-savvy!